The Syrian authorities are willing to engage in direct talks with Turkey to defuse tension between the two countries, said Saturday the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Relations between Syria and Turkey have deteriorated significantly in early October following the bombing of a village inside Turkish territory by shells fired from Syria. The bombing killed five people and injured 11. In response, the Turkish parliament mandated the government to carry out cross-border military operations for one year. On October 10th, the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov spoke of the need to open a direct dialogue to resolve the situation.

"Damascus welcomes the initiative of Mr. Lavrov to set up a mechanism of direct contacts between Syria and Turkey on security issues," reads a statement published by the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the document, the Syrian authorities have studied with the Russian ambassador to Damascus the option "to establish a Turkish-Syrian security committee which will take the responsibility to monitor the situation on both sides of the border."

Relations between the two countries worsened further two days ago, after a Syrian airliner was intercepted by the Turkish Air Force. The aircraft suspected of carrying military cargo, was forced to land in Ankara.